1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing apparatus control method configured to read an image of a document, generate image data based on the read document image, and issue a request to transmit the generated image data to an external apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a conventional image processing apparatus which includes a reading function for reading an image of a document and generating image data of the read document image and a transmission function for transmitting the generated image data has been widely used. In utilizing an image processing apparatus like this, a user designates a reading parameter for reading an image of a document and also designates a transmission protocol and a transmission destination for transmitting the generated image data. The image processing apparatus reads an image of a document and transmits the generated image data according to the content of the designation by the user.
In executing a series of processing using a combination of a plurality of functions as described above, it is necessary for a user to designate a large number of parameters. Accordingly, it is necessary for the user to execute complicated operations.
In order to solve the above-described problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-287860 discusses a method, when a plurality of services is performed in cooperation with one another, for processing a document according to a definition described in a previously generated instruction which defines a content of a plurality of processing to be executed.
According to the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-287860, it is necessary for the user only to issue an instruction for executing the previously generated instruction to serially execute the processing according to the content described in the instruction. Accordingly, it is not necessary for the user to perform complicated operations.
When a series of processing is executed utilizing a combination of a plurality of functions, the user can utilize not only functions of one apparatus but also a combination of functions of a plurality of apparatuses.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-287860 discusses a method for utilizing a plurality of apparatuses including an image processing apparatus, a document management server, and a document transmission server in cooperation with one another. In the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-287860, one instruction describes the content of processing to be executed by each apparatus. In this method, if the user selects an arbitrary instruction and issues an instruction for executing the instruction, each apparatus serially executes processing according to the definition described in the instruction.
However, when a series of processing is executed utilizing a plurality of apparatuses operating in cooperation with one another as described above, the user cannot easily verify a result of the processing executed on an apparatus other than the apparatus the user operates.
In the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-287860, a cooperative processing server configured to manage the cooperation among apparatuses centrally manages results of the processing executed on each apparatus.
However, in an environment which does not include a mechanism like the cooperative processing server discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-287860 for managing the cooperation among apparatuses, each apparatus merely executes the processing defined in the instruction. Therefore, the user cannot verify the results of the processing unless the definition includes an instruction for notifying the user of the processing results.
In addition, even if the mechanism for managing the cooperation among the apparatuses is provided, in the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-287860, the result of the processing executed on an apparatus other than the user apparatus is notified to the user by a predetermined fixed method. Accordingly, in the above-described conventional method, the processing results cannot be notified to the user by selecting a method appropriate for a situation of the operation.